masts and rudder skipper 14

[mart 917]

Hi
Some fine upstanding member of our community although clearly not the yachting community, has very kindly stolen my aluminium masts and wooden rudder from my Skipper 14 berthed in Sunny Denham. Now whilst some of you may - knowing the Skipper 14 - say that's possibly a blessing it is now a pain in the transom.
However much of an ugly duckling she is, she was there to teach my children and even the dogs to sail and I would like to let her grow old with a bit of dignity.

I know reading the threads in the past that occasionally old masts and bits are hanging around or about to be scrapped and I am really hoping that somewhere out there at the end of a garden or in a bush are the masts and rudder to a Skipper. failing that has anyone got any ideas about what I could use to replace said items using another boat rig. She was Bermuda, but I understand can be Gunter. Failing this appeal I fear she may end up on a roundabout near Clacton with pansies growing out of her!!! Any help and advice would be really appreciated. Mart 917

 

[Seajet]

Hi mart,

welcome to the forums.

I remember the Skipper reasonably well, weren't the spars simple alloy tubes with external halliards, so the sails just attached loose footed and at the head / gaff, rather than having bolt ropes running in grooves ?

For the rudder / tiller, I don't know what you're like at DIY but it should be simple to make in external grade ply, have a stroll around a club dinghy park, taking measurements and lots of photo's.

I'd suggest a Mirror dinghy rudder should be fine, with suitable spacing between pintle & gudgeon to suit the Skipper; don't forget a spring clip to keep the rudder on if you capsize; ask me how I know !

I have a Mirror rudder I could measure and photograph if you like - PM me - but it's cherished with lots of memories and hung on a wall so I can't offer the thing itself.

Good luck,

Andy

 

[Lakesailor]

The one I refurbished had a simple tube for a mast with a pocketed luff on the main. There was a small window in the pocket that the forestay clipped through to a slot in the mast. The boom (on mine) used a plastic rowlock as the jaw around the mast.

 

[mart 917]

Thanks Andy
I will look at the Mirror option sounds like a good idea but probably have to try a gunter rig. The mast was two pieces of aluminium which slid into the sail, getting a bit heavy to lift in now anyway so a gunter5 may be more manageable. Thanks for your help

 

[mart 917]

Thanks Lakesailor